7:50 PM IL: Labor Party leader Ehud Barak has scored a major victory a short time ago. The party’s central committee governing body, numbering almost 1,500 members, has approved the party’s entry into the Likud-led coalition government, accepting Barak’s contention that the party does not belong in opposition.
In a strained voice, Barak made an impassioned appeal to central committee members to support his position, insisting he is not concerned with securing himself a senior cabinet post, adding, “I was defense minister, interior minister, foreign minister and IDF chief of staff. I am not yearning for another seat”.
He stressed “I am not afraid of Binyamin Netanyahu and will not be his fig leaf, but a stable voice to prevent a right-wing extremist coalition”. Barak stated Labor will not rubber stamp Likud policy, but the party will influence government decision-making on key issues, justifying the need to enter the coalition.
The move is viewed as a major personal victory for Barak, whose leadership position is being challenged. The vote of support from the central committee is a blow to the anti-Barak camp in the party, and a major infusion of support for the party leader and soon-to-be senior cabinet minister, again.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
On economic (as opposed to social and perhaps military) issues, this is good for frum Jews since we tend to support a liberal economic policy (give money to poor people), unlike Likud and Kadimah which are very business oriented (as in “if you cut off aid to the poor, they’ll have to work harder and become more productive – so help them by cutting aid to the poor).
Rachmana Yatzielaynu
baruch shahachianu!!!!!!!!!!!!
aperkuma since when is a deciding factor for whats right and wrong and for whats dangerous to the jewish people
about money
as a frum jew?
what about for the jewish people?
well he deserves it since he has the same name as the us president… sounds like real israeli politics
charlie
If he signed with SHAS already, he probably caved in with them to. A right wing vote for LIKUD was a wasted vote he always wanted to establish a ‘unity chevra’ to stay in business.
“Danger to the Jewish people”
If the Arabs ever get seriously interested in peace, Likud, Kadima and Labor would probably be of one mind (which is why it was dumb for Feiglin, given his beliefs, to support Likud rather than a hawkish party). That isn’t especially likely to happen.
The economic situation is serious. The survival of the Jewish people is based on Jews learning Torah, and the declining economy is hurting the community of Bnei Torah. It also is probably increasing the number of abortions (as is happening in the USA), which in Israel claim more Jewish lives in one year than the Arabs have killed in their century long war with the zionists.